The Reality of the Powerful (2)
"Huh? Oh, uh?" For a split second, Heo Cheong-won was completely speechless.
"My father told me never to speak of this to anyone outside the family, so it hasn't leaked at all. How did you know? I didn't even mention it to the Minister because I thought it was a matter I wasn't involved in."
With Choi Cheol-jae’s expression and tone being the very definition of innocence, Heo Cheong-won had nothing left to say. If the other party had put on a servile face, asking, "Ah, how did you find out...?", Heo Cheong-won would have had room to press his advantage. But with the man acting so genuinely naive, he found himself at a loss for how to proceed. He couldn't admit he’d bugged the place, and claiming he’d heard it through a "sponsor" would have been beneath his dignity. Thus, Heo Cheong-won lost his chance to vent his anger and could only mumble, glossing over the situation.
"No, well... just... I heard some rumors going around."
"Wow, we kept it so secret—did it really leak to other people? Oh man, I’m in huge trouble. My father is going to be furious."
Despite the exterior of the "incompetent chaebol son" that Choi Cheol-jae was playing, the sweat running down his back was practically reaching his waist. Please, I hope I don't soak the sofa. Knowing exactly what would happen if his true colors were revealed, he was desperate not to lean back against the cushions. He felt a wave of relief, thinking how glad he was to have worn a thick suit jacket today. It was a bit chilly due to the change of seasons, so he’d opted for a heavier layer—it had turned out to be a stroke of genius.
"Ahem! Ahem! Anyway, is it true that The God of Pachinko is currently filming?"
"Yes, that’s correct."
Since it was obvious that hiding it would be useless, Choi Cheol-jae threw the gates wide open. However, Heo Cheong-won was only looking into the castle from the outside; he couldn't grasp the reality of the empty fortress within.
"Right. You don't need to worry about disobeying your father's orders. You're telling me, so why would he be angry?"
"Oh, that’s a relief. I’d appreciate it if you could explain to my father later that I wasn't the one who brought it up first."
"Of course, of course. Hahaha!"
Judging that Choi Cheol-jae was an easy target, Heo Cheong-won regained his composure. Of course, regaining his composure didn't mean he had secured what he wanted.
"I noticed that The God of Pachinko needs a child actor, doesn't it?"
Heo Cheong-won had already grasped most of the scenario. Naturally, the role he was eyeing was the one meant for Jung-ah. But he couldn't say that outright, so he began to probe indirectly again.
"Well, I don't really know much about that."
As Choi Cheol-jae chuckled, Heo Cheong-won’s eye twitched.
"You don't know?"
"Yes!"
Heo Cheong-won sighed at the sight of Choi Cheol-jae answering so vigorously.
"No, I saw that your agency has child actors and such, so I thought you were preparing..."
"The only child actor in our agency is my niece!"
For a moment, Heo Cheong-won coughed involuntarily, and to cover it up, he quickly continued.
"No, that’s... um... anyway, does the Samwoo Chairman’s granddaughter have any talent for acting?"
Heo Cheong-won hurriedly changed the subject. Under normal circumstances, this conversation would have felt incredibly strange, but Choi Cheol-jae didn't give him any opening to exploit.
"Oh, her talent is immense. My father told me to train her, so I’m doing that now, and she’s like a sponge—an absolute sponge."
Heo Cheong-won began to feel confused at the sight of Choi Cheol-jae clapping his hands in admiration.
"Do you mean to say you’re training your niece without knowing anything?"
"Yes? Is there something I should know? I don't really know much about that sort of thing... I just do as my father tells me."
In the end, Heo Cheong-won clicked his tongue. Damn, this guy is too stupid. If it’s come to this, it’ll be hard to pressure the Samwoo Chairman through him.
In fact, the reason Heo Cheong-won had called Choi Cheol-jae instead of Choi Ki-hyun was simple. He was wary of JD and JSD, so he couldn't summon Choi Ki-hyun directly. He had called Choi Cheol-jae to express his keen interest in that role, but the guy in front of him seemed to have zero chance of relaying that message to his father, no matter what was said.
"Is that so... I see. Well, anyway, today’s meeting was very enjoyable. You may go now."
"Yes? Oh, yes!"
It was an arrogant dismissal. Usually, you couldn't just summon someone and send them away like this. But Heo Cheong-won was drunk on his own power. It was the craft of a capitalist society where one was forgiven for anything—or rather, where there were no brakes to begin with. He didn't care at all about the impact of his actions because he had never suffered a loss from them. This was a common trait among those who had opposed Yoon-gi so far.
"Then, I’ll be going now. Goodbye."
Choi Cheol-jae bowed at a 90-degree angle. Heo Cheong-won waved his hand dismissively, and as soon as Choi Cheol-jae stepped out, he climbed into his car. Five minutes later, having parked on the shoulder of the road, Choi Cheol-jae realized his seat was damp and let out a sigh.
"Phew. I think I’m finally going to live."
His underwear was already soaked with sweat. Along with the fact that his "idiot strategy" had worked, Choi Cheol-jae thought of Oh Gyeong-hee.
Tsk, tsk... you’re going to be discarded in the end.
Choi Cheol-jae already knew what kind of future awaited Oh Gyeong-hee. Nothing was as futile as the promises of a person in power. You should never trust the promises of the powerful unless the reward is delivered in advance. Oh Gyeong-hee hadn't known that.
Well, there’s no need for me to worry about such an ungrateful person.
Choi Cheol-jae drove for about 30 minutes to check if anyone was following him. Once he was certain he was safe, he headed straight for Yoon-gi.
* * *
Yoon-gi, who had been playing with Jung-ah, noticed that Choi Cheol-jae’s expression was unusual upon his visit, so he went into a room with him.
"What happened?"
"Ah, well, that is...!"
Choi Cheol-jae stuttered repeatedly, unable to grasp where to begin.
The smell of sweat is strong; something serious must have happened.
Yoon-gi didn't press him, but instead gave him space.
"Why don't you take a break for a moment? Take a shower, have a cup of tea."
"Huh?"
"I think that would be best."
At Yoon-gi’s smiling words, Choi Cheol-jae left the room and entered the bathroom. About 30 minutes later, having finished his shower and rest, he returned to Yoon-gi’s room in a much more stable state.
"Sorry. I was really flustered."
Yoon-gi offered his seat to Choi Cheol-jae, who was scratching the back of his head, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"It must have been something truly enormous, then?"
"Yes... the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heo Cheong-won, summoned me."
"Heo Cheong-won summoned you, Uncle, out of the blue? Did something related to the movie leak?"
For a moment, Choi Cheol-jae felt goosebumps all over his body.
"Y-you predicted that?"
Yoon-gi shrugged.
"If Heo Cheong-won were going to proceed with something related to the entertainment industry, he would have contacted a Tier 1 agency, not Golden Circle. If he were going to talk about family matters, he would have summoned Grandfather or Father. But he contacted you, Uncle? Doesn't that mean it’s for something that can only be achieved through Golden Circle? He probably would have made a similar judgment if he had contacted the third uncle, too. That side is also related to the movie."
Choi Cheol-jae felt a sense of relief at Yoon-gi’s clear interpretation. If someone this brilliant was on his side, he would surely have an answer even if the opponent was the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"You saw it exactly. It seems he wants to insert someone he’s pushing into Jung-ah’s spot."
"His granddaughter, I assume."
"Huh?"
Choi Cheol-jae was surprised once again.
"I’ve already grasped the basic profiles of the 'Three Heos.' Heo Cheong-won’s eldest granddaughter is 10 years old and is currently active in the entertainment industry. He probably intended to order you to insert his granddaughter instead of Jung-ah."
"That’s insane... but why this movie, out of all the others?"
Yoon-gi analyzed the situation with precision.
"It must be for the presidential election. Businesses related to YK are thriving, so the movie will likely be a success, too. If his granddaughter gets in and it succeeds? He’ll probably take her to his campaign rallies later to gather votes. If a candidate has a relative who is an entertainer familiar to the public, it has a huge impact on the polls."
"I hadn't thought of that at all..."
Yoon-gi smiled at the slightly frustrated Choi Cheol-jae.
"I spend all day thinking about that sort of thing. Actually, I didn't 'predict' it would be that way; I’m just deducing that 'that must be why' after hearing the story. I’m no prophet."
"Either way, it’s an incredible feat to me."
Choi Cheol-jae sighed deeply and asked Yoon-gi, "Anyway, what should I do? Should I answer that it’s impossible?"
"He won't give up, you know."
"He won't give up? Don't we have connections like JD and JSD?"
Yoon-gi nodded.
"The mistake people make about those in power or the wealthy is thinking they are 'always rational.' But the reality is quite the opposite."
"Not rational...?"
"Yes. The power of those in authority is the power to turn their choices into rational results. As such, they have absolutely no reason to make rational choices. And some of them ruin their own lives because they fail to turn their irrational choices into rational results. Even among chaebols, don't they often choose risky businesses brought by their cronies rather than excellent business opportunities?"
"Ah, I suppose that’s true..."
Though he couldn't say it out loud, Yoon-gi thought of Saddam Hussein after the 9/11 attacks. Even North Korea, which usually threatened to turn the U.S. into a sea of fire, expressed regret immediately after 9/11. Hussein, on the other hand, issued a statement saying "serves them right" and lost his power. Why didn't Hussein, a man in power, make a rational choice? Of course, he issued a statement of regret later, but it was too late, and Hussein died.
"It’s not that the powerful always act irrationally, but they turn irrational actions into rational results. That’s why they always appear to be rational people."
"Wow... I’ve truly never, ever thought of it that way."
Choi Cheol-jae asked for a strategy, genuinely impressed. "Then, how do you intend to deal with it? If Heo Cheong-won doesn't give up on his idea, there must be a countermeasure to stop it, right?"
In a sense, this was something he should have asked his father, Choi Ki-hyun. But Choi Cheol-jae was completely drawn into the conversation with Yoon-gi.
"We just have to push through with it."
Yoon-gi offered his solution with a smirk.